SHP quarterback Liam Londergan waits for the snap.
MONTVALE, NJ — In a repeat of last year, the No. 11 seed Seton Hall Prep football team traveled to Montvale to take on No. 3 seed St. Joseph and came from behind to defeat the Green Knights 35-28 in the Non-Public “A” quarterfinal on Saturday, Nov. 11.
The Pirates will now travel to Morris Township to take on No. 2 seed Delbarton, which defeated Don Bosco Prep 14-9, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18. Last year in the quarterfinal, the Pirates defeated St. Joseph 34-30 on a touchdown pass with 7.4 seconds left in the game.
This year, senior Michael Dunmore and the offensive line, along with an opportunistic defense, paved the way to victory. Junior defensive lineman Tyler Amato recovered a St. Joseph fumble and the Pirates capitalized with a 30-yard field goal by senior Jack Catchpole with 4:42 left in the first quarter. Later in the quarter, senior linebacker Christian Black intercepted a St. Joseph pass to halt its drive. In the second quarter, St. Joe’s took a 7-3 lead with 7:45 to go and extended the lead to 14-3 with another TD with
5:51 left.
After St. Joe’s second touchdown, the Pirates drove 59 yards in five plays, as senior quarterback Liam Londergan hit senior wide receiver Danny Easter with a 24-yard scoring pass and Catchpole added the first of four extra points to make the score 14-10 with 2:50 left.
After the Green Knights turned the ball over on downs, the Pirates drove 35 yards in four plays and Catchpole connected on a 38-yard field goal as the clock hit :00 to make the halftime score 14-13.
On their first play of the third quarter, St. Joe’s retook the lead on a touchdown 21-13. On its next drive, Seton Hall cut the lead to 21-20 when it drove 65 yards in five plays, with Dunmore rushing up the middle from 31 yards out with 8:55 left.
After a St. Joe’s punt, Seton Hall took a 28-21 lead when Dunmore had a 55-yard TD run and Londergan hit Easter with the conversion pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Green Knights tied the score at 28-28 with 6:25 left on a touchdown. On the next possession, the Pirates went 64 yards in four plays and junior Ben Mitrow scored on a 21-yard touchdown run to give Seton Hall a 35-28 lead with 4:45 left. St. Joe’s drove to the Pirates’ 44-yard line and junior Alleem Scott jarred a ball loose after a reception by a Green Knights receiver. SHP senior defensive back Jaylen McClain jumped on the fumble with 2:04 left to play. The Pirates ran out the clock to end the game. After the game, McClain said, “I couldn’t believe it. I saw the ball on the ground and all I thought was to just jump on it. I just knew the offense was going to handle their business and finish the game.”
Dunmore said, “We knew we were the underdogs going in and we hate that because we know we can’t beat teams like this all the time. In our eyes, this is not an upset. We just handled our business.”
SHP head coach Bill Fitzgerald said, “I think we talked about last year in this situation and that gave us confidence. You have been there before and you can do it again, and we did it.”
Fitzgerald was named the Super Essex Conference/Alliance Coach of the Week.
SHP game stats:
Passing: Londergan: 12 of 21 attempts, 142 yards, 1 TD.
Rushing: Dunmore: 18 carries for 208 yards, 2 TDs.
Receiving: Easter: 4 catches for 76 yards, 1 TD.
Defensive leaders: McClain, 17 tackles, 1 fumble recovery; Black: 12 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack; and junior linebacker Justin Cook, 12 tackles.
Photos Courtesy of Seton Hall Prep
SHP vs. St. Joseph’s of Montvale, in Non-Public “A” playoffs, Saturday, Nov. 11.
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